What BLANK SPACE is Staring You Down Right Now?

I turned 34 a couple of weeks ago, and I told my husband the only thing I wanted for my birthday was a ginormous chalk board so I can attempt to keep our lives together. As you may remember, I’ve been having a hard time adjusting to being the mom of a pre-schooler! And I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d have a fighting chance with a calendar and menu board staring me in the face 8,000 times a day.

Low and behold, my handy knight in shining armor came through with a 5-foot by 3-foot chalkboard. And the angels sang all the hallelujah choruses.

And then I sat there. And I stared at it. And kept staring…staring…staring…

Turns out, there’s nothing more daunting than a blank space.

I don’t know what your blank space is. Maybe this is the first Christmas without your parent or grandparent and there’s just something missing. Maybe your marriage fell apart and you’ll be sharing your kids for the holidays. Maybe you just got let go from your job and the new year looks more daunting than you anticipated.

My guess is that your blank space is more intimidating than a chalkboard. There’s probably more at stake than straight lines and hand-lettering.

Listen, no matter what your blank space is, I believe our first few steps are the same:

Don’t Stay Stuck in Fear: Fear is paralyzing. But you know what fear also is? Your enemy. Fear is a lie that rolls around in your brain to keep you from peace, confidence, and the freedom that comes from knowing the truth about who you are. Name the lies hide in the fear. Then replace them with the truth. I’ve created a journal to help you with this very thing. Now might be the perfect time to get started on that path.

Make a Plan, then Keep It In Motion: Take a look at life how it is, not how you wish it could be. And make a list of your next few baby steps. Then, put that plan into motion and keep it in motion. If you don’t, fear will be the first companion to jump into the driver’s seat to get you back to step 1.

Look for the Gifts: Sure, the chalkboard was an amazing gift that would’ve sat blank on my wall until I took action. And I know your blank space might not be a gift in and of itself, but I’m certain there are gifts to be found in your mess. The people that show up for you. The song that comes on the radio at the right time. The ways that God uses all of these small things to remind you that you are so loved! That He’s near to you.

So, I followed the steps above. I channeled my inner Paula (my mom, who creativity and artistry comes so easily to!), told fear to sit down and shut up, got on Pinterest for some inspiration, and finally was able to stare, stare, stare at a space filled with one of my favorite Christmas reminders and a calendar and menu to keep us relatively sane this holiday season.